Governing Bodies
FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy coming to Nigeria next month
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour begins this month and Nigeria as one of the 32 countries featuring in the tournament will play host to the trophy in March.
The tour goes by the theme: ‘Going Beyond’ and it is to inspire people of all ages to get excited about the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023.
Arriving from Zambia, the trophy is expected on Nigerian shores on 26 March. The tour’s Skills Drills will encourage women and girls worldwide to join the celebration by showcasing their footballing ability and creativity.
It is envisaged as the biggest-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour. The tour will take the iconic Trophy to all 32 of the tournament’s participating nations – more countries than ever before – and will inspire people of all ages by ‘Going Beyond’ to celebrate the rocketing popularity of the women’s game. At the heart of this mission will be a unique opportunity for members of the public to get creative and showcase their footballing ability to a global audience.
Skills Drills will give willing participants worldwide the chance to try out fun football challenges that become tougher over time and then share their imaginative efforts on TikTok.
As the Trophy travels from stop to stop, selected women and girls who have participated in Skills Drills will join FIFA Legends, local national team stars and other famous faces to highlight the game’s emerging talent and increase the buzz around the Women’s World Cup.
As the campaign’s dedicated skills coach, Female Football Freestyle world champion Lia Lewis will set the challenges to her more than 3.9 million followers on TikTok, as well as across FIFA’s social media and FIFA+. She will also pass on her tips to youngsters at a send-off event on 18 February in Melbourne / Naarm, Australia before the tour’s first official stop in Japan on 25-26 February.
The Trophy will crisscross the globe by visiting Asia, Africa, South America, North America and Europe before landing in all nine Women’s World Cup host cities in the final weeks before the start of a tournament on 20 July that promises to go Beyond Greatness™.
Key dates on the tour schedule include stops in China PR on 9-11 March, South Africa on 22-23 March, Brazil on 29-30 March, USA on 10-14 April, Canada on 19-20 April, Germany on 2-3 May, England on 13-14 May and France on 20-21 May.
Several countries will also be part of the tour for the first time ever, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Morocco, the Philippines, the Republic of Ireland, Switzerland, Vietnam and Zambia.
“The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour is a spectacular global celebration of the women’s game, giving fans, families and future football enthusiasts an opportunity to be inspired and become part of a truly special journey,” FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura says.
“It is a fantastic opportunity to experience the most coveted prize in women’s football in person and hear from the game’s legends. The tour will inspire people worldwide by shining a spotlight on the skills and creativity that demonstrate why women’s football has such a bright future.”
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria is set to host the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), marking the third time the country will stage the continent’s top football gathering.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, approved Nigeria’s proposal to host the event.
The approval followed a meeting between President Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe, attended by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, former NFF President and Special Adviser to the CAF President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, as well as CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.
Sports Villages Square affirms that Nigeria previously hosted the CAF Congress at the National Theatre in Lagos in March 1980 and again in February 2009, when the late CAF President Issa Hayatou secured another four-year term in office.
In addition to this year’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly, scheduled for October, Nigeria also secured the hosting rights of the CAF Awards ceremony. The annual awards gala, which celebrates Africa’s top football performers, has been staged in Morocco over the past three years.
Nigeria had earlier hosted the CAF Awards when telecom firm, Globacom, was the headline sponsor. This year’s event will be the seventh to be held in Nigeria after those of 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
The CAF Ordinary General Assembly traditionally attracts key football stakeholders from across the continent, including presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions and senior football administrators.
The CAF Awards ceremony is regarded as one of African football’s flagship events, honouring outstanding players, coaches, clubs and officials in a glamorous setting that showcases the continent’s football excellence.
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FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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